Here's a listen to what it says in today's papers, opening with praise again for staff at Wexford General.

In case you missed it this week, Kevin Callinan responded to Morgan McKinley's latest report on wage growth. Also on Wednesday the latest CSO figures suggest that upward pay trends are not accelerating on the back of wider inflationary pressures. 

Also this week the Indo reports on a WRC case featuring our North Western colleague Michelle Connaughton doing fine work.

Flights in and out of Dublin Airport were again temporarily suspended last night due to illegal drone flights. IALPA's efforts to lobby for tighter regulations on drones is reported in the latest Services and Enterprises bulletin. The pilots describe drones as presenting a “real life risk” to passengers and crew. The news this morning is that drones are on the Cabinet's agenda when it meets today.

Elsewhere, Fórsa has responded this week to the Government's failure to legislate to ensure that domestic violence leave is paid at the full rate of pay. Fórsa's efforts on the new legislation were acknowledged in contributions during Wednesday's Seanad debate.

Meanwhile, a reminder, in case you needed it, of how Tories indulge that puerility in private as well as in public.

FInally, Olive Keogh has got a piece in the Irish Times that's worth a look, concerning the growth of employee surveillance, (scanning emails, tracking phones, taking screenshots of employees' work) A new report shows 40% of monitored employees received no communication about monitoring from their employer.

Zen

We're barely into the third month of the year and already it's been a stunning year for new Irish music. The Murder Capital brought the house down at their tour finale in Vicar Street last Sunday night. Lisa O'Neill has cast her spell too.

Next up it's Lankum: "This may be modern folk music's own OK Computer" opines Mojo magazine. The anticipation for their latest long player (False Lankum, coming on 24th March) is getting wild and feverish, and frankly I'm all in favour of it.

Have a blisteringly brilliant weekend.

Niall